Fractionation and distillation tray structure



fsept. 15, 1953 FRACTIONATION A ND DISTILLATION TRAY STRUCTURE FiledMarch 29, 1952 2 Sheets-Sheet l "16 61B) I 1'4) (7 l '32 3 35 25 31a "25f 26 12 s1 Fr 6&5

James m .Qfialle rzger qZrzvqibor 6 10. Clbbornegs .1. M. BALLENGER2,652,239

Sept- 5, 1953 J. M. BALLENGER 5 3 FRACTIONATION AND DISTILLATION TRAYSTRUCTURE 'Filed March 29, 1952 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 James HZ, efiallengerelrlv erzbor' dimer-neg Patented Sept. 15,

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,652,239 FRACTIONATION AND DISTILLATIONTRAY STRUCT Millington, Oil Development Company, a corpo- James M.Ballenger,

Standard ration of Delaware URE N. J assignor to Application March 29,1952, Serial N 0. 279,300 7 Claims. Cl. 261114) The present inventionrelates to an improved fractionation and distillation means. Theinvention is particularly concerned with the construction of theindividual trays such as perforated tray.

It is an object of the fractionation tray of relatively light weight andmum number of individual parts and to accomplish a maximum strength inthe assembled ing drawing. in which:

Fig. 1 is a. horizontal section through a fractionation tower or othervessel of the character supporting structure for the tray,

g. 2 is a partial, enlarged vertical section Fi through stantially alongthe line II-II Fig. 3 is of Fig. 1, and a vertical section through aportion of a tray structure as shown in Figs. 1 and 2 means of anannular ring member 4. The truss and purlin structure are supported, inthe tower in any conventional fashion such as by means of angularsupports 5, which may be welded to the inner wall surface of the shellI.

relation to the tray next below. conventionally, the lower end of bafileportion 1 is disposed at port structure to which applied.

The upper plate elements l3, while similar to the lower plate elements8, are provided with peripheral edge portions Ba. and 13b of which theportions I 3a are provided for juncture with gases pass upwardly throughthe tower by way of the plate chimney openings.

When operation of the tower is initiated, liquid is introduced at anupper level in the tower at a rate substantially as required to floodthe several trays in succession. At this stage the space between plateelements of the trays may fill with liquid and liquid may spill throughthe lower plate chimney elements. But upon initiating upward flow ofgaseous materials through the tower, the liquid which may originally betrapped between the plate elements is forced out and upwardly into thelayer of liquid flowing across the trays.

In any tower of the character contemplated and described. the liquidflowing across the trays is usually agitated violently by the gaseousmaterials passed through the trays. In a typical bubble cap tray, inwhich the gaseous material issues more or less laterally from notchedbubble caps, the agitation effect may be such as to cause considerablespray and froth to be thrown upwardly toward the tray above, andconsequently to cause entrainment whereby the liquid is carried upwardlythrough the plate next above with the gaseous materials, and resultingin undesired and uncontrolled liquid reflux or recycling. Such excessiveagitation also tends to interfere with suitable liquid flowcharacteristics, increasing holdup time on the trays, and also resultingin surging and otherwise to interfere with uniform operation.

In a tray structure according to the present invention, initialagitation occurs well below the surface of the tray liquid, and in thesubstantially confined zone of the downwardly extended, upper platechimney elements, and a considerable part of the gas velocity isdissipated before it reaches the tray liquid surface. Consequently,excessive agitation and liquid entrainment will be reduced, and liquidflow characteristics become more uniform.

It is contemplated that the plate elements may be made of comparativelylight weight, thin gauge metals, and preferably not more than shown maybe formed by die punching in deep drawing dies such that the punch willfirst draw and deform the metal and then rupture it to provide thejagged or serrated peripheral edge portions at the end of each chimney.Although the serrated edge thus formed may not be uniform, normalvariations will not greatly affect the overall length of the chimneyelement nor its operating characteristics. If greater uniformity isrequired, the punch or mandrel element employed may be provided with aseries of radially disposed ridges designed to induce rupture of themetal along predetermined lines. Alternatively the sheet may be scoredbefore drawing and punching to obtain the same result. In a typical traystructure according to this invention, the chimney elements should havean overall height or length substantially equal to the diameter thereofat the serrated end. In one preferred form of the apparatus, thesedimensions would be about one and one half inches, or two inches. Theopposite end of the chimney element is preferably formed with a smoothlycurved, expanded opening through the plate, of slightly grater diameterthan the serrated end.

What is claimed is:

1. A fractionating tray structure comprising upper and lower platemembers disposed in opposed parallel spaced relation one to another, aplurality of tubular chimney elements opening through each plate member,each leaving a peripherally serrated end edge portion, the chimneyelements of one member being offset with relation to those of the othermember and extending into surface contact with the opposite platemember, and means for joining said members rigidly one to another.

2. A tray structure according to claim 1 in which the chimney elementsof each member are arranged in parallel rows and in a square pitchrelationship, the rows of one member being intermediate the rows of theopposite member, and with the individual elements of one plate member inoffset relation to those of the other member longitudinally of saidrows, whereby said elements are disposed in a triangular pitchrelationship from plate member to plate member.

3. A tray structure according to claim 1, in which said plate memberscomprise a plurality of sectional elements of which the elements of onemember are individually secured to a supporting structure for said tray,and the elements of the other member are joined one to another and tosaid individually supported elements.

4. A tray structure according to claim 1, in which said upper and lowerplate members comprise a plurality of sectional elements individualupper and lower elements are joined one to another in substantiallyfluid-tight relation to form a plurality of unitary tray sections, saidsections being secured into supporting structure in edgewise relation toform said tray.

5. A tray structure according to claim 4, in which the supportingstructure is provided with a parallel series of baffle plate elementsextending upwardly therefrom between edge portions of adjoining traysections carried thereon.

6. A tray structure according to claim 5, in which said tray sectionsare secured to said baffle elements along parallel adjoining sectionedge portions.

7. A tray structure for fractionation towers and the like, comprising apair of individual plate members joined together spaced relation one toanother, a plurality of tubular chimney elements of substantially equallength associated with each plate member joined at one end to a platemember surface and opening therethrough, the other end of each elementterminating in a peripherally serrated, end edge portion, said elementsdisposed in peripherally spaced relation one to another over said platemembers providing a substantially continuous, flat, intermediate platesurface portion between and surrounding each element, the chimneyelements of one plate member being oifset radially with respect to thoseof the other member in said pair, and means for rigidly uniting saidplate members, the serrated edge portions of the chimney elements of atleast one member in said pair engaging the intermediate surface portionsof the other member and spacing said members from one another bysubstantially the length of said elements.

JAMES M. BAILENGER.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS

